Road Strikers

Make: Kia Model: Kee Concept year: 2007 Production year - Engine: 2.7 litre V6 The Kia Kee was revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Kee is a sports coupe concept based around a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive platform, with the possibility of an all-wheel-drive layout. The Kee is powered by a 200 hp V6 with the possibility of AWD The styling of the Kia Kee is intended not only to gather interest in the concept itself, but also to preview a new styling language for the company, and raise the profile of the South Korean marque. Kia Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer said of the concept: "Kee has to communicate a design language that will be seen on all future Kia products. That language has to be stated in certain elements of the visual representation – lines, shapes, details. But it has to be consistent and easy to understand. It must be visually strong and purposeful but it must be capable of being transferred from this sports coupe concept to a city runabout, a...

Make: Kia Model: Sidewinder Concept year: 2006 Production year - Engine: Natural gas The Kia Sidewinder was one of the entrants into the 2006 Los Angeles Auto show's 'LA Adventure' design competition. A competition in which the participants chose an activity available in the southern California area, and then designed a vehicle for that purpose. Designed at the Kia America Design Center by Marc Mainville, the Kia Sidewinder concept is intended as an environmentally friendly vehicle for drift-racing, a California adventure because Los Angeles was the scene of the first officially sanctioned American drifting event. Power for the Kia Sidewinder comes from a compressed natural gas turbine, which supplies electricity to a series of in-wheel, high torque, electric motors.

At the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, Kia pulled the covers off a luxury SUV concept which is designed to hint at the brand’s design direction for future large vehicles. The company says the car uses influences from the 2011 Kia GT concept, however these seem to be limited to fairly standard Kia traits like the tiger-nose grille and, well… That’s about it. The Cross GT rides on the same chassis as the GT, however it is taller, and instead of being rear-wheel drive it features an all-wheel drive system. Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Corporation President and Global Chief of Design, said of the concept: “The debut of the GT in 2011 heralded a new frontier for Kia, both from a design and a business perspective. It beautifully illustrated to the world that the brand was ready to explore the possibility of perhaps one day offering a full-size rear-wheel-drive luxury saloon. The Cross GT, with its raised stance and large cargo area, allows us to envision the GT in the form of ...

Kia GT Concept The Kia GT concept from 2011 showcased the company’s first rear-wheel-drive platform, while also wearing the brand’s new styling language. According to Kia, work on the GT concept started back in November of last year – although the idea of producing a sporty RWD car had been bouncing around Kia’s European design studio for some time. Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer said of the GT:“This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel drive car. The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.” What will appeal to driver’s from almost every corner of the globe is the Kia GT’s drivetrain. Mounted up front is a turbocharged, direct-injection, 3.3 litre V6 which puts out 39...

2017 kia sorento will be released with new design and bigger cabin space. Kia is one of best Korean auto manufactures that offer best cars for all people in the world. Now, people must feel so happy because Kia has a plan to release new Sorento to the auto market. When we compare with the previous version of car, we will find some changes and we will get best features too. Kia will increase the size and cabin space of this car so this car will make all people feel better and comfortable when they drive this car to all places. When we talk about rivals of this car, we will find some brands of cars such as Honda Pilot, Chevrolet Traverse, and also Toyota Highlander. Before you purchase this car, you better check detail changes in this car first. Changes In Car Dimension 2017 kia sorento will be made as longer and wider car. Kia tries to increase the wheelbase around 3.1 inches. The length of Kia Sorento is increased too 3.7 inches. The new Kia Sorento is made softer and also it will be...

Talk me through the Kia Provo’s styling The body panels are carbonfibre, one of several supercar design traits Kia has pinched for its latest concept car. Note also the ‘visor’ windscreen (thanks, Koenigsegg) slim LED headlights and oversized front splitter. At the back there’s a single light strip (Porsche 911 Carrera 4, anyone?) and dual exhausts, plus a Ferrari F12-style centre brake light and rear diffuser. Is the Kia Provo just a no-go show-pony? Nope. Under the bonnet is the Proceed GT’s turbocharged 1.6-litre petrol engine, good for 197bhp. While that powers the front wheels, the rears are driven by a 43bhp electric motor, charged up during braking or on the overrun. The Provo can ‘creep’ in EV-only stealth mode at urban speeds, or the hybrid drivetrain can act as a full four-wheel drive system for maximum acceleration. The concept car’s transmission is a six-speed dual-clutch ‘box. What about the Kia Provo’s cabin?...

► Kia to premiere Sportspace at Geneva show ► Does this foreshadow an Optima estate? ► Latest sign of expansion from Kia Kia will showcase its new Sportspace at the 2015 Geneva motor show - a sneak peek at what is likely to become the Optima estate, we reckon. The Sportspace is a concept car for now, and Kia says its raison d’être is ‘long-distance driving with maximum comfort and minimal stress.’ A proper cruising wagon, then… What is it with these Sporty, Spacey names for estates? Good point. Jaguar’s Sportbrake and F-Pace, Audi’s Sportbacks… manufacturers love a good compound noun and the new Kia’s Sportspace name ticks all the boxes for the marketing people responsible for sexing up practical family boxes. Not that the Sportspace concept car is boxy. These first official pictures reveal a sleek, l-o-n-g shooting brake-style estate. In fact, it looks a bit like a stretched Ford Mondeo wagon in side profile...

► First look at the new Kia Optima ► Due to debut at 2015 New York show ► Incoming: a dose of major style? Here's Kia's big news at the 2015 New York International Auto Show: the new, next-generation Optima. It is essentially the sanitised, four-door saloon production version of the stylish Sportspace concept car from the Geneva motor show. Are we alone in thinking this solitary first photograph makes it appear somewhat less dazzling? This single official photograph of the 2015 Optima follows a couple of design renderings issued earlier this month, and the US-spec saloon looks much more conventional than the wild design sketches suggested. What do we know about the 2015 Kia Optima? Not a huge amount yet. We're in classic teaser territory: just the three images in our gallery have been issued by Kia. Kia's brief announcement says merely this: 'Instantly recognisable yet thoroughly fresh, Kia will introduce the all-new 2016 Optima at the upcoming New York Auto...

Kia has shown its first rear-wheel drive sports car at the Detroit motor show. The GT4 Stinger was shown to the press as the brand’s potential rival for the Toyota GT-86 and Subaru BRZ. What is this car all about? The GT4 Stinger is a 2+2, front-engined coupe powered by a 311bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine taken from Kia’s Optima racecars. That makes it substantially more powerful than the Toyota, with its 197bhp, but like the GT-86, the Kia is focused on being a proper driver’s car. Hence, the 4.26-metre long coupe has been designed to weigh a mere 1315kg in production form, runs double wishbone suspension front and rear and doesn’t even have a radio. ‘The soundtrack comes from the engine and out of the exhaust,’ says the concept’s head designer, Tom Kearns. What’s the idea of the design, and what would this car cost? ‘Our whole approach has been to do something very simple and pure, but new looking,...

► Revealed at Seoul motor show ► Just a concept, not production ► But does preview future designs Kia concept cars continue to come thick and fast. Here’s the latest: the Kia Novo, a mean, green fastback saloon revealed this week at the 2015 Seoul motor show. Does the Kia Novo preview a production car? Short answer is no. Kia says there are no plans to turn the Novo concept into a production reality. It does suggest we’ll see some of its design cues reappear in the near future, however. As the company puts it: ‘Kia has a history of delivering production vehicles that bear a strong resemblance to concept vehicles that precede them. The Kia Novo concept provides a glimpse into Kia’s plans for its future compact car line-up.’ So remember those vents, feature lines and light graphics: when the next-gen Ceed and co arrive, you saw them here first. Kia Novo: the design story The Novo was designed at Kia’s studios in Korea rather th...

Overview: Kia continues to step up its game, and the Cadenza is yet more evidence that it deserves to be seriously considered by savvy shoppers. The only engine available is a 293-hp 3.3-liter V-6, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with front-wheel drive. While the Cadenza may not be a rocket, it does accelerate to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. Kia hasn’t made performance a priority for the Cadenza, but it’s still sufficient, and the upscale interior appointments make it a very comfortable car.